Planning a Trip to Disneyland + Giveaway

Growing up mostly on the east coast, visiting Disney World was something I was able to do often. I went almost every year for 4-5 years in a row as a teenager. Fast forward 8 years and now I’m living on the west coast with two boys. My youngest in particular is a Disney fanatic, especially Mickey Mouse! It started not long before he turned one and has been going strong ever since. Though he has now embraced Monsters Inc, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo/Dory into his love of Disney, the Mickey Mouse Club gang still holds the number one spot.

This past year we were really hoping to visit Disneyland for Max’s second birthday but things just didn’t line up the way we hoped. Now we are planning to go this year for sure so we’ve started doing our research on the best options for our family. I think visiting Disneyland can work for any family’s budget you just have to check out all of the options.

Planning Checklist

First and foremost we need to get tickets to Disneyland. I’ve checked out every option possible and the only deals I can find are maybe $5 off a ticket or if you’re military you can get tickets for $99. So this we had to suck it up and just purchase the tickets at regular price. Though you can bulk purchase a trip through somewhere like Costco, we don’t have $2k plus to drop on a trip to somewhere local.

Lodging. Probably my most dreaded part of planning a trip. You can go somewhere and not pay a lot for an entry but then pay a fortune in lodging. We lucked out and stumbled upon Country Inns & Suites Anaheim. The hotel is newly renovated with modern interiors and stylish furnishings in all 174 rooms. The best part though and the reason we decided it was a great choice is that its within walking distance of Disneyland and there’s a great view of Disneyland’s fireworks!

Meals and Dining. One of my favorite memories of Disney World was the food. Not the taste or anything like that but the fun Mickey Mouse shaped items. I remember eating Mickey Mouse rice crispy treats almost everyday. We could have made plans to eat outside of Disney World but the character dining would make my little’s days so purchasing a meal plan is totally worth it. Breakfast however we are totally going to take advantage of at the hotel since Country Inn offers complimentary hot breakfast and has a full bar for morning mimosas.

Disneyland Gear. My youngest owns almost every Mickey Mouse item out there so the rest of us have to stock up on all of our Disney gear. I know there will be cute things in the gates that we won’t be able to help ourselves purchasing but any little purchase outside of the gates is helpful.

Pack up and go! Now that we have dates, we are ready for our first ever trip to Disneyland as a family.

Giveaway

Want to score 1 free night at Country Inns & Suites Anaheim? Click here then comment below for an entry. You are also welcome to gain extra entries by completing any of the other options. The winner will be announced February 1, 2017. Good luck!

I have only had the privilege of going to Disney once in Florida. We had such a wonderful experience. Forget the kids as an adult I would go back just us in a minute. Given some great ways to enjoy Disney.

It is every kid’s dream to go to Disney & I dunno anyone who doesn’t like Disney. I have always enjoyed the planning part which I always do with my cousins. I love the anticipation and all that. Plus each time we go to Disney, the experience is always wow. So, I’m pretty sure that someone is going to be super happy with your giveaway 🙂

We did Disneyland last year and it was a lot of fun, but we did not plan good enough. Next time we go I will be more prepared. Although I might be waiting a few years, and going in the off season. I think those combines will make it more fun for us!

My favorite part is the outdoor heated pool!! that is amazing!! The hotel looks GREAT! We have never been to Disney!! But after seeing & reading about it here it makes me want to take my kids even more now

I love that it has free hot breakfast, wi-fi and it’s close to the Disney Land.What I love about disney land is all of the rides and not too mention that you can’t have a bad time at the happiest place on earth!

We actually stayed at this hotel 4 years ago. We took my boys for the first time. It is a nice hotel. I like the breakfast. It is free and lots of choices. Free is good specially when you know you will be eating in the park the rest of the day. We love Grand California. Cars land is the best. Hope you enjoy it.

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I love that pool! Looks easily accessible from the hotel! My favorite thing is all the fun Disney characters you can meet and greet and take photos with, also the beautiful Cinderella castle, the parades throughout the day, the rides and yummy foods, and the fireworks show at night!

I love everything about the Disney including Al fun activities, meet and greet all adorable Disney characters. My favorite part of the hotel is its pool, complementary breakfast and proximity to the Disney.

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